Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Stone stood by his bike, watching the girls chat.
He hadn’t even considered doing the Poker Run until Phoebe told the girls Bear was taking her, Slice was taking Deborah, and Roam was taking Blake.
Since Stone was only one man, after getting Naomi’s okay for the girls to ride, he asked Finn and Ben to each have one of the girls ride with them.
They’d let the girls draw for who they were riding with because Stone didn’t want them to think he picked one girl over another to ride on his bike.
He’d warned both Finn and Ben to keep aware of who was around them.
Jared had not shown up yesterday to pick up the girls.
When it passed ten p.m. and Naomi hadn’t heard anything, she texted Jared to see if he was switching weekends.
He’d called her a bitch in the text and said he’d had a setback but would pick them up today.
Well, screw that. He, Naomi, and the girls had attended the parade and were now going on the Poker Run.
They’d be back in time for Meg’s speech at the commemoration ceremony this afternoon.
Naomi and her sisters were volunteering, but they’d all meet up for lunch once Stone and the girls returned.
Stone got on his bike and held his hand for Beck to get on. They’d gone over motorcycle safety with the hot pipes, and then the girls had drawn their rides. Taylor was with Ben. Regan had a huge smile on her face as she got on behind Finn.
Once they got the sign from Brody, who was at the start of the run, they were on the road. He went slow until Beck patted his arm. He’d told her to pat his arm or stomach if she was good with him riding faster.
Stone enjoyed the ride to their first stop over by Coldwater Lake. It was a gorgeous, sunny June day with a light breeze by Kansas standards. He chuckled at the girls getting their cards and then teasing each other about who had the best card.
The ride seemed shorter than normal when they made their next-to-last stop at Nelson’s Honkytonk Saloon & Bar in Dodge City. The girls drew the cards and then all ran inside to go to the restroom. There’d been sodas for sale at stop three, and Finn had treated the girls.
Stone checked his phone. There was one text from Naomi saying that Jared had been spotted in town, but War had suggested she work inside Regina’s Roadside Refuge food truck so she could hide when she spotted him.
He had a text from War saying they had it under control.
Dex and Chloe were at the petting zoo, which had a straight line of sight to the food truck.
Stone walked over to where Finn and Ben were looking at the items for sale while they waited on the girls.
“Jared’s been spotted in Bluff Creek. War is keeping him away from Naomi until we get back,” Stone reported.
Finn nodded. “Yep, Regina and War both texted us.”
Stone stared at Finn, wondering why Regina and War would notify them. Regina hadn’t texted Stone.
“It’s all good, Stone. We’ve got your back,” Ben reassured him, grinning as the girls came out.
“Hey, ladies, do you need bracelets to commemorate your first motorcycle ride?” Ben asked.
“My treat,” Stone interjected.
“Well, okay. If Stone’s getting you that, then I’ll still owe you something later,” Ben conceded, his grin widening.
Drinks were one thing, but his brothers weren’t going to be the first of their family giving the girls gifts. They could wait their turn.
Although War had told her not to worry, Naomi wasn’t able to turn it off that easily.
Her babies were out on the road. She trusted Stone and his brothers to keep the girls safe, but what about when they got back to Bluff Creek?
She would be in violation of the court decree if she kept the girls from going, but there was no way she was allowing her babies to be alone with a man who had beaten her time and time again.
She worried about Stone too. He was protective of her and her girls. It would break her heart if Jared provoked Stone. She and Stone hadn’t discussed whether Stone was on probation or not. Once he realized she didn’t hold it against him, they hadn’t spoken of it again.
“I can feel your nerves vibrating the air around us. It will be okay,” Willa soothed. Naomi had been introduced to Willa earlier, so impressed to learn that she was a helicopter pilot. She was with Cruise, a man Naomi had only met briefly.
“Sorry. I’m just worried,” Naomi replied.
“I can understand that. I served and was used to stressful situations, but when it was me involved in it—it feels different. You’ll survive just like I did,” Willa encouraged, handing a couple of drinks to the customer at the window.
She turned back around as the line cleared.
“I’m kind of looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen to your ex-husband. ”
“What do you mean? What’s going to happen to him?” Naomi inquired.
“I’m guessing there are at least three contingency plans for how he’ll be handled, depending on how he responds when he’s told no,” Willa chuckled. “I’m also sure that none of them will make him happy, but abusive jerks deserve to not be happy.”
Clara knocked on the sill of the window. “Polo Collar Moobs heading this way,” Clara announced before walking off.
“Polo Collar Moobs?” Naomi repeated, stunned.
“Jared. Brody mentioned that his man tits in his collared polo shirt were larger than some of the ladies’, which led to Dex mentioning that calling them tits gave him indigestion. He suggested man boobs, which was shortened to moobs by Beth,” Willa explained.
“How do you know all this?” Naomi wondered.
“Because the guys can’t keep quiet on the earpieces,” Willa shared, leaning against the counter.
Naomi blinked, her heart skipping a beat. “What earpieces?”
“The ones the response team is wearing.”
“Response team?” Naomi looked around the immediate area. What the hell was the response team?
“Regina had an idea, which she discussed with War,” Willa added, tapping her own ear.
“There are at least twelve different voices I’ve heard on here, so relax.
We’ve got this.” Willa turned to take an order from a customer, then made change while Naomi gathered the sandwich and bag of chips for them.
Willa motioned for Naomi to move to the corner of the truck, which couldn’t be seen by any customers at the window.
“Good morning! What can I get for you?” Willa asked pleasantly.
“Information. I’m looking for my bitch of an ex-wife. I’m supposed to have our daughters this weekend. I’m already late because I’ve had four flat tires,” Jared growled.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Four flat tires, you say?” Willa mused.
“Yes. A flat tire forty minutes outside Edmond, and then I got it fixed and another flat tire thirty minutes later. By the time I got a tow truck, it was late, so I stayed in a motel. This morning, thirty minutes after I left the motel, another flat tire. The last one was as I drove through Coldwater. What a clusterfuck!” he exclaimed.
Willa nodded. “I’m sorry about that. You’ve had a crappy start to the weekend.”
Naomi crouched down because even though Willa said she couldn’t be seen from leaning there, Naomi didn’t want to face him right now. She wanted Stone with her.
“Do you know where she is?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know anyone named ‘bitch of an ex-wife,’ and if I did, I’d tell her that she was well rid of you. Calling women bitches doesn’t make you a bigger man, just a jerk,” Willa retorted.
“Foul-mouthed bitch,” Jared sneered.
Willa chuckled. “Let me tell you a little secret: I served in the military, so I’ve been called worse. You should jump in your car and leave Bluff Creek while you still can,” Willa advised, her tone turning ice-cold.
Jared pounding on the windowsill startled Naomi.
“Listen, my bitch of an ex-wife, Naomi, moved here to live on some cult-like biker compound. Do you know where she is?” Jared demanded again.
“Yes,” Willa replied flatly.
“Where?” Jared yelled.
“I’m not telling you. I answered your question,” Willa stated calmly.
“Hey, Willa, is this guy bothering you?” a man called out.
Naomi thought it sounded like Finn or Ben. Unless she could see them, she couldn’t tell them apart. Their voices were too similar.
“He is very annoying, and he’s blocking the line from other people who’d like to order food,” Willa said.
Naomi stood up. If Finn and Ben were back, then her girls were too. She motioned to Willa that she was going out the door on the opposite side of where Jared was. She opened the door and the girls were there with Stone. Pulling them into her arms, she held them tight.
“He’s not taking you,” she promised, her voice trembling but fierce.
“Oh, we know. Finn and Ben said they had it handled,” Regan said with a confident grin.
Yelling had the sheriff’s department, which was on crowd control, rushing past her toward the chaos. Stone nodded and herded Naomi and the girls around the trailer but kept them back. Finn and Jared were fighting on the ground. Deputies pulled them apart. Jared saw her as he was being cuffed.
“You bitch. I’m taking the kids this weekend,” Jared snarled.
The deputy behind him chuckled. “Sir, you’re not going anywhere besides to a jail cell.”
“What? No! He started it,” Jared screeched.
“I want to press charges. He assaulted me and broke my nose. It was definitely unprovoked,” Finn groaned, holding his nose, which was dripping blood.
The deputy called for a medic. “Until we figure out what happened, you’ll both be taken in. The cells here are full, so we’ll be transporting you to Dodge City,” the deputy said.
“No! She planned this. It’s your fault, bitch!” Jared screamed.
“You leave Mom alone! You can’t ever hurt her again. Stone and everyone here will keep us safe,” Beck screamed, turning her head toward Naomi’s chest after she was finished.
"We’re never going with you. I don’t trust you. I saw what you did to her,” Regan declared, her voice steady and clear.
“Ladies, no one will be going with him. He’ll be taken to the jail in Dodge City and booked. We’ll go from there, but I’m guessing there might be more by the time we get there,” the deputy reassured them.
After the medic had addressed Finn’s bleeding nose, he was put in handcuffs too.
As he walked toward the squad car, he turned his face toward the girls and started singing the chorus to You’re Welcome.
As they put Finn in the back of the car, he was still singing.
The deputy closed the door and grinned as he walked around the car.
“You folks have a nice afternoon,” the deputy called out, climbing into his patrol unit.
Willa leaned out the window of the food truck. “It was plan A,” she yelled.
Naomi shook her head. They’d told her not to worry, and she should have listened. Her girls were safe, and they weren’t going with Jared.
“How was the ride?” Naomi asked as Locks walked up.
“It was amazing. How old do we have to be to get our own motorcycles?” Taylor asked.
“Umm,” Naomi stuttered, not knowing what to say. It was the first time in forever that her girls had been this excited, but a motorcycle for them?
“It’s okay, Mom. We can talk about it later.” Taylor grinned, bounce-stepping beside Naomi. “I’m hungry. What’s for lunch?”
“Compass is grilling hamburgers and hot dogs over on that side of the park. How does that sound?” Stone offered.
“Good, and who is Compass?” Beck chimed in.
“Another Bluff Creek brother. He’s a nomad,” Stone said.
“What’s a nomad?” Beck piped up.
Naomi listened as Stone explained about the different titles in a motorcycle club, which led to questions regarding Bluff Creek, which led to so many more questions.
Naomi dearly loved her daughters, but sometimes there was never any silence with the three of them.
Hopefully, while they ate, it would be quiet so Naomi could examine how she felt about what happened.
She knew Jared and today was just a setback.
Whether he wanted the girls or not, being denied them would infuriate him.
He’d regroup, then retaliate, but Naomi had a feeling that the MC would have a plan.